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Tuesday, 6 June 2017

Graves exhumed in hunt for teen mum Natalie Putt missing since 2003

Police investigating the 2003 disappearance of teenager Natalie Putt have begun exhuming several graves at a cemetery.

West Midlands Police said officers were acting on new information about her disappearance. She was 17 when she left her home in Dudley to go to a shop in September 2003.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said the inspection of a number of graves in Ruiton Cemetery in Upper Gornal near Dudley, was expected to take several days.

The exhumations come after a number of other attempts over the last few years to find Natalie, whose son was 11 weeks old.

Police previously scoured open land near the teenager's home and carried out underwater searches of rivers and lakes. They also searched farmland in nearby Wombourne.

Detective Inspector Ian Iliffe, from the West Midlands Police cold case review team, said: "All cases are periodically reviewed and the disappearance of Natalie has led us to believe that we are looking at a murder inquiry.

"We have had no positive sightings of Natalie in all these years and there has never been any financial activity connected to her bank accounts or any access to health services across the country, which points to the fact that she is no longer alive.

"Following a review of the information we have received, we have been granted permission to exhume a number of graves in Ruiton Cemetery."

The senior officer added: "We also believe that at least two people know what has led us to this site and they may have further information which could assist our search.

"We would very much like to hear from them."

Police arrested an 18-year-old local man in March 2004 in connection with Natalie's disappearance but released him without charge.

:: Anyone with information should call police on 101 or 0121 428 6092. The Crimestoppers service can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.